Drop side construction



July 13, 1965 H. J. LANDRY DROP SIDE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

Filed D60. 19, 1963 MW Jfenry J'Lcmdrq July 13, 1965 H. J. LANDRY DROP SIDE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1963 United States Patent O 31%,849 DROP SIDE CONSTRUCTEON Henry J. Landry, Lake Road, Ashhurnharn, Mass. Filed Dec. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 331,713 tllaims. (Cl. 5-190) This invention relates to a new and improved crib construction with particular relation to the drop side, and the principal object of the invention resides in the improvement of the drop side mechanism which can be used where desirable and is not limited merely to use in cribs or beds.

One of the objects of the invention resides in the provision of a two-part drop side, a lower part fixed in relation to the corner posts of the crib and extending from end-to-end thereof, said fixed side part having top and bottom rails and interconnecting hollow spindles; in combination with another crib side part which is movable veitically on the corner posts and has a top rail with spindles depending therefrom which are telescopingly arranged with relation to the hollow spindles of the fixed crib side part, the top rail of the movable crib side part having extending from the ends thereof interconnections with the corner posts which are dovetailed or undercut in such a way as to provide for slidably guiding the movable crib side part on the corner posts, completely avoiding the use and necessity for the usual slide rods, resulting in great economies in manufacture by obviating the hardware ordinarily used for slidably guiding the usual crib dropside.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a drop side construction for cribs as above described including a new and improved latch mechanism mounted directly in the corner posts for latching the movable part of the crib side in its raised position, there being no need to latch the movable part in its lowermost position as it is stopped and held in position by the top rail of the fixed drop side part.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be held to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation with parts broken away illustrating the invention and showing the crib side in down position;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of one end of the crib showing the drop side in raised position; 1

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation showing a corner post and looking in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the new guiding and latch mechanism for the drop side;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a modification.

The present construction includes corner posts 10, it being understood that there are of course two spaced corner posts at each end of the crib, the corner post being connected by crib end members, and the drop side construction to be described connects the corner posts at the front of the crib. At the rear of the crib the drop side construction may be duplicated or a fixed crib side may be provided, all as well known in the art.

In the present construction there is a two-part drop side. One part is generally indicated at A and the other side at B. Crib side part A comprises an upper rail 14, a spaced lower rail 16 and a series of interconnecting spindles 18. The spindles 18 are hollow, being preferably made of extruded plastic or other material, and they are set into recesses in the lower rail 16 as at 20 and are closed by the material thereof. However in the top rail 14 the upper ends of the tubular spindles 18 are inset as at 22 and the "ice rail is bored through at 24 so that the upper ends of the hollow spindles 18 are open.

At each end of the part A of the crib side there is provided a relatively wide end member 26 which is fixedly secured between the top and bottom rail by dowels or other fasteners. These end members 26 may be permanently connected with respect to the corner posts 10 or they may be provided with bed latch hooks 28 as shown, entering the groove 30 and hooking over the pins 32 in the usual manner in which the side rails of bedsteads are connected to the head and footboards therefor.

The top part B of the drop side comprises a top rail 34 and a series of depending spindles 36 which are receivable in the openings 24 in the top rail 14 of the lower part of the crib side so that the' part B of the crib is telescopingly vertically adjustable with respect to the lower part A, having a lowermost position as shown in FIG. 1 and an upper position shown in FIG. 2.

It will be seen that this construction rigidities the en tire crib by the fixed interconnection between part A of the drop side and the corner posts in contradistinction to the usual drop side construction in which the entire drop side in a single piece is mounted on slide rods. Furthermore the drop side is very easy to operate and the height of the crib sides can be designed to be as desired because the lower part A can be made with any height desired even to the floor, and the part B can have a height which is comparable thereto. When the part B is fully extended, it is stopped so that it cannot become disassembled by pulling upwardly on it.

At the ends of the top rail 34 of part B of the crib side there are provided inset rods, see particularly FIG. 4. These rods are indicated at 38 and are preferably pinned in position as shown at 40. They extend beyond the ends of the top rail 34 and mount thereon rotary antifriction wheels 42. Outboard of each wheel 42 there is a fixed latch block 4-4 which as shown in FIG. 5 is provided with an inclined end portion 46.

The corner post 10 is routed forming a slot at 48 and this slot is undercut as at 50 to receive the wheel 42 which is originally assembled by being thrust through a drilled hole 52 (see FIG. 3), so that the anti-friction wheel 42 is positioned in the undercut portion 40 of the slot and thus it is seen that the part B of the crib side is quickly and easily moved up and down to the limits indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3, completely avoiding the use of slide rods.

In order to latch part B of the crib side in the uppermost position as shown in FIG. 2, a conventional springprcssed pin 54 is utilized. This pin is mounted in a barrel 56 which has a spring in it to normally maintain the pin to the right in FIG. 5 but it can be retracted as is well known in the art by grasping the button 58 and moving it .to the dotted line position in FIG. 5. The pin 54 is thereby released from the latch block 44.

When the button 53 is released, the pin 54 normally assumes the position shown in FIG. 5 so that when the crib side part B is moved upwardly, the end of the pin strikes the inclined surface 46 of the latch block 44 and is cammed back, snapping past the lower edge of the latch block, thus automatically latching part B of the crib side in the FIG. 2 position. However, it will be seen that it is very easy to release part B and allow it to drop to the FIG. 1 position.

FIG. 6 shows a modified groove for the wheel 42 and block 44. Instead of a slot, a bent out plate 60 slotted at 62 can be used.

The crib of the present invention is not only very easy to operate and avoids the use of hardware ordinarily encountered such as knee latches, slide rods, etc., but it also can be used as a youth bed. Each of the members 26 is provided with a hook at the interior side thereof or a series of hooks or other means for supporting a crib spring thereon, and withthe mattress arranged below the 7 top of the top rails 14 and, 34 the device can be easily entered by an active child. At the same time he is restrained from-falling out at the sides during sleep because of the presence of the crib side even though in the down position.

Having thusldescribed 'my invention and the advantages thereof, I. do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is: a

'1. A drop side construction comprising a pair of parallel elongated supporting members, means connecting said members in fixed relation, a drop side frame located between the elongated members and being slidable with. 1 respect thereto, an undercutw groove in each elongated lel elongated spaced supporting members, a fixed drop side part, a movable drop side member, the movable drop side member being capable of overlapping the fixed drop side member on being extended with relation thereto, said fixed drop side member including a top rail, a bottom rail, a series of spindles connecting the rails, and amend memher at each end fixedly-secured to and between the rails, and rneans connecting the fixed drop side part with respect. to said elongated members comprising bed hooks, said bed hooks being secured to said end members, said elongated members each having a slot therein with cross pins, to receive said-bed hooks for detachable securement of the fixed frame With'respect to said elongated supportsupport, a headed member at each end of the drop side, the heads of the headed membersbeing located and slid- I ably guided in said undercut slots, the slots each having an opening too narrow to allow. the heads to escape therefrom, and adjacent one end of each slot a hole of a size large enough to receive the heads to assemble the drop side with respect to said elongated supporting members, said holes'facing each other. I I t The drop side construction recited in claim 1 including spring-pressed latch means to hold the'drop side porting'members. V r

3. The drop side construction recited in claim 1 including spring-pressed latch means to hold the drop side in extended relation with respect to said elongated sup-' porting members, said latch means comprising a fixed keeper on the drop side, the keeper being located in the undercut portion of the slot, a latch pin mounted in an elongated member, a spring pressing the latch pin toward the path of'the latch plate, said latch plate having a cam surface thereon for camming the pin back out of its path so that it will snap under the latch plate'and latch the drop side in the extended condition thereof; and manual means 'for retracting the pin from latching condition against the action of its spring.

4. A drop side construction comprising a pair of paralin extended relation withrespect to said elongated sup- 7 V ing members. a

4 A drop side construction comprising a pair of parallel elongated spaced supporting members, a fixed drop side part, a movable drop side member, the movable drop side member being capable of overlapping the fixed drop side member on being extended with relation thereto, said fixed drop side member includinga top rail, a bottom rail, a seriesfof spindles connecting the rails, and an end memher at each end fixedly secured to and between the rails, and means connecting the fixed drop side part With respect to said elongated members comprising bed hooks, said bed hooks being secured to said end members, said elongated members each having a slot therein with cross pins to receive said bed'ho'oks for detachable securement of the fixed frame with respect to said elongated supporting members, and means on the members on which the bed hooks are mounted for supporting a bed-spring thereon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS,

.FOREIGN PATENTS 271,334 *2/51 Switzerland.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DROP SIDE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL ELONGATED SUPPORTING MEMBERS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID MEMBERS IN FIXED RELATION, A DROP SIDE FRAME LOCATED BETWEEN THE ELONGATED MEMBERS AND BEING SLIDABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO, AN UNDERCUT GROOVE IN EACH ELONGATED SUPPORT, A HEADED MEMBER AT EACH END OF THE DROP SIDE, THE HEADS OF THE HEADED MEMBERS BEING LOCATED AND SLIDABLY GUIDED IN SAID UNDERCUT SLOTS, THE SLOTS EACH HAVING AN OPENING TOO NARROW TO ALLOW THE HEADS TO ESCAPE THEREFROM, AND ADJACENT ONE END OF EACH SLOT A HOLE OF A SIZE LARGE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE THE HEADS TO ASSEMBLE THE DROP SIDE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ELONGATED SUPPORTING MEMBERS, SAID HOLES FACING EACH OTHER. 